COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio is one of the leading states in biomass resources, and an upcoming bioenergy conference is designed to introduce participants to those resources and the feasibility of converting them into potentially useful energy alternatives.
Biomass is living material or a product of living material (plants, animal wastes or food processing) that can be converted into energy, such as ethanol, biodiesel, butanol or hydrogen production.
The goal of the BioEnergy Conference: National Perspectives — Ohio's Potential, sponsored by Ohio State University Extension and Ohio State University Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), is to discuss opportunities for developing biomass energies as current supplies of petroleum and natural gas continue to tighten. The conference will be held on Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Buckeye Hall of Fame Café in Columbus, Ohio.
"The conference will bring together representatives from Ohio's leading industries to discuss opportunities for developing biomass as an alternative to oil, as well as other bio-based products, such as adhesives, inks, polymers and lubricants," said Denny Hall, special assistant to the Dean of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and one of the conference organizers. "We are looking to bridge the agricultural industry with Ohio's industrial resources to increase awareness on a national scale of what Ohio and our university have to offer in this area."
Registration fee for the conference is $45, which includes lunch. Fee for students is $15. Registration deadline is Oct. 22.
Topics to be discussed throughout the day include developments in the ethanol industry, biofuels for transportation, Ohio's biomass inventory, anaerobic digestion, engineering hydrogen, and bio-based opportunities from an investor's perspective. Speakers include industry individuals as well as Ohio State researchers. Keynote speakers include Bob Dinneen from the Renewable Fuels Association, and Dan Reicher with the American Council on Renewable Energy/ New Energy Capital.
For more information, contact Lois Grant at (330) 202-3537 or grant.47@osu.edu, or log on to http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ocamm/bioenergy.htm.